Durham give Jennings 50-over captaincy

Keaton Jennings has been appointed as Durham's Royal London One-Day Cup captain for 2017.

Jennings, whose captaincy experience will be extended by leading England Lions in Sri Lanka next month, will lead Durham for the duration of the 50-over competition, which begins against Derbyshire at Emirates Riverside on April 27.

The shift of the competition to the first half of the season enables Jennings to lead Durham before the start of England's Test summer, which in 2017 does not begin until South Africa play at Lord's on July 6.

Jennings stood in as Durham captain in the same format last year in the absence of Paul Collingwood, and has now been given the job on a permanent basis.

All-rounder Paul Coughlin has been appointed as Jennings' vice-captain while Collingwood will continue as the Specsavers County Championship skipper.

Jennings, Durham's club's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year, said: "It's one of those dreams as a young boy, you want to lead your side so it's an honour to lead Durham this year.

Head coach Jon Lewis said: "Keaton has developed immensely over the last 12 months, not only as a player but also as a leader in the dressing room, and he has commanded the respect of the dressing room. This new role reflects his standing in the side and we are confident he can lead us forward in the 50-over competition.

"He was highly impressive when he stepped in to the role last season and has already started to build up experience of handling the responsibilities that come with being a captain.

"Even with possible England commitments, we are likely to see Keaton for the entirety of the tournament and we feel this is another important step forward in his career."

Jennings will also captain the North side in the inaugural North vs South series, which takes place in the UAE in March.